Floor Care

Carpet Stain Removal

Treatment of the affected area should begin immediately upon discovery. The more time that elapses before treatment, the more difficult a stain will be to remove.
First scrape the food spill gently with a spoon or dull knife, removing as much as possible.
Always work from outer edge of the stain towards the center to avoid spreading. Blot, do not rub or scrub, as the carpet may fuzz.

When using a mild detergent, use a clear, non-bleach laundry detergent. Do not use cloudy detergents as they can leave a sticky residue. Use only 1/4 teaspoon of detergent to 32 ounces of water. Follow detergent cleaning with clear water rinsing and then blot dry as much as possible.
For any stain removal, use a white cloth or paper towel for cleanup.

Vacuum Regularly
Most dirt, and even dust, takes the form of hard particles. When left in the carpet these gritty, sharp particles abrade the pile of the carpet. Regular vacuuming not only prolongs the life of the carpet, but will enhance its appearance as well. Most soiling in carpet is of the dry, particle type which can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. Vacuum high traffic lanes daily, medium to high traffic areas twice weekly, and the entire house at least once a week.

Use a vacuum with a rotating brush or beater bar. Change the bags often and check the beater bars for burs and gouges so as not to damage the surface of the carpet. Some thick loop pile carpets will fuzz if a rotating brush vacuum is used. In this case we recommend a suction vacuum only.
Preventive Maintenance

The use of mats or runners at all home entrances and on uncarpeted areas adjacent to carpet will reduce soil and moisture in traffic areas. Clean mats and any other rugs placed over carpet regularly.
The use of furniture coasters to distribute the weight of heavy items is also recommended, especially for furniture with wheels. Take care when moving furniture with wheels by putting a protective barrier between the wheels and the carpet.

To extend the beauty of your carpeting, close drapes or blinds during hours of direct sunlight.
Exercise extreme caution with all bleaches, tile cleaners, mildew removers, oven cleaners, drain openers and plant food. They are strong chemicals that can permanently discolor or dissolve carpet fibers.

Cleaning Recommendations

Even with regular vacuuming, soil particles and oily dirt will cling to the carpet fibers. With foot traffic these particles and oily dirt are driven deep into the carpet. We recommend professional hot water extraction every 18 to 24 months. Periodic cleaning, using the hot water extraction method performed by a professional cleaner, will refresh carpet appearance.

The most used areas, such as entrances, doorways, traffic lanes, and in front of chairs will collect dirt faster than other areas. Clean these areas as they begin to show soil. This will stop dirt from spreading, and will extend the time between professional cleaning.

Hardwood Floor Care
Don’t Damp Mop – Water and wood floors don’t mix! Use only the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning products on your hardwood floor.
Vacuum Regularly – Small stones, mud and gritty dirt tracked in from outside can play havoc on the wood floors finish. To help combat this, place long bristle welcome mats at all outside entrances for people to wipe their feet on before walking onto the floors. Also, vacuum using a soft bristle brush attachment.

Use the Proper Chair Glides – Narrow wheels, sharp wooden legs or metal furniture legs can scratch and dent hardwood floors. Any furniture that rests directly on top of a hardwood floor should have felt protectors, or furniture coasters under all it’s feet. For extremely heavy objects such as a piano, use wide, non-staining rubber cups. Purchasing floor protectors is cheap insurance for protecting your hardwood floor investment.Protect from Direct Sunlight – your wood floor may change color or fade due to exposure to direct sunlight. The sun’s UV rays accelerates the oxidation and aging of wood so periodically rearranging your furniture and closing the curtains during intense periods of sunlight can help avoid the problem.

Don’t Use Oil Soaps – There are many over the counter oil-based soaps and wax based cleaning products that may damage or dull the finish of your wood floor. The best suggestion is to only use the manufacturers recommended cleaning products on your hardwood flooring.
Never Wax a Urethane Wood Finish – If your hardwood floor has a polyurethane finish never use a paste wax on the floor’s surface. A paste wax may form a sticky film on your floor and allow tracked in dirt to stick to your wood finish. Polyurethane finishes will not adhere to any wax and adding a fresh coat of polyurethane to your floor will be very difficult.

Vacuum Regularly – vacuum using a soft bristle brush attachment. Place long bristle welcome mats at all outside entrances for people to wipe their feet on before walking on your floors.
Light Damp Mop – most laminate floors may be lightly damp mopped when needed. Avoid standing water as this may cause the seams between the planks to peak.
Use the Proper Chair Glides – Narrow wheels, sharp wooden legs or metal furniture legs can scratch your floors. Any furniture that rests directly on top of a laminate floor should have floor protectors, or wide furniture coasters under all feet.
Don’t Use Oil Soaps – There are many over the counter oil-based soaps that will leave a dull finish when used for cleaning your floor.
Trim Pet’s Claws Regularly – Even though laminate floors are durable, pet’s claws may scratch the surface if they are not trimmed regularly.
Never Wax a Laminate Floor – laminate floors have a very dense surface and floor waxes will not stick to the surface.
Wipe Spills Immediately – when liquids get spilled on your laminate floor use a slightly damp white cloth, or paper towel to immediately blot up and dry the affected area. For more difficult spots, follow the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning procedures.
Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations – the best suggestion is to only use the manufacturers recommended cleaning products on your floor.

Vinyl Floor Care

Whenever possible, place a non-staining doormat outside each entrance to your home to prevent dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, and driveway sealer from being tracked onto your floor. Do not use latex-backed, rubber-backed or coco-fiber mats on your vinyl floor.
Sweep your vinyl floor regularly (at least once a week).
Vinyl manufacturers recommend the use of latex-based driveway sealers to minimize the potential staining from asphalt sealer tracking.
To avoid sunlight causing your floor to fade or discolor you should always close your curtains or blinds where extreme sunlight hits the floor.
Replace all narrow furniture rests with wide-bearing ones. Support furniture with wide-bearing, non-staining floor protectors. It is recommended that all furniture protectors be at least one inch in diameter, made of non-pigmented, hard plastic, and rest flat on the floor. Non-staining felt protectors are also acceptable. Casters with a minimum 3/4″ flat surface width or floor protectors are recommended for all moveable furniture. Metal floor protectors are generally not recommended.
Always use strips of 1/4″ plywood or sheets of underlayment as runways to protect the floor if you need to move heavy objects, such as your refrigerator, across your vinyl floor. Runways should always be used even with furniture dollies, or even if the heavy objects are equipped with wheels or rollers.

Wipe up spills immediately to help prevent stains. The longer a stain sits the tougher it will be to remove from the surface.
To prevent dirt build up occasionally mop your floor with the manufacturer’s recommended floor cleaner. Follow the instructions on the bottle and do not over mix or your cleaning solution may leave a dulling film. Avoid soaps, cleaning powders and detergent products as they will leave a dulling film. Although the no-rinse cleaners do not need rinsing, rinsing will provide the better shine. If you do notice a dulling film after cleaning the floor, try a thorough rinse with warm, clean water.

To restore the hi-gloss on a urethane vinyl floor most manufacturer’s recommend the use of a polish. Do not use paste wax and do not try to buff a urethane vinyl floor. Be sure the floor is thoroughly clean and completely dry before applying the manufacturer’s recommended floor polish. (If all the dirt is not removed prior to applying the polish the dirt will become trapped underneath.)
Vinyl floors can become slippery when wet. Use extreme caution when walking on a wet floor.

Some of the newer vinyl floors have a low-gloss finish and the use of a floor polish may make the floor shiny.
It may be necessary after several applications of polish to strip the entire floor and reapply a new coat of polish. This may also be necessary for excessive dirt and grime build-up. Use the manufacturer’s recommended heavy duty floor cleaner and stripper product. Once the floor is thoroughly cleaned, rinse, dry, and then apply a new coat of polish. High traffic areas may require more than one application of polish. Allow polish to dry “tack-free” between coats.

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